See also: the LATTEY Galilean sights on the SMLE.....GIBBS optical sight for the SMLE...
NEILL (Barnett) Galilean sights on the SMLE......BSA optical sight on a Lee-Metford
The Patent application No. 11,227 of 3rd. August 1916.
The applicant, J.E Martin, was John Elsden Martin, the son of Alex (Alexander) Martin, both of Glasgow, Scotland.
John was born in May of 1868, and died ca. 1950. His father was born in Renfrewshire in 1814,
but died at the age of 63, when John was only nine years old.
However, the company's many products remained under the auspices of the late father.
Below: the fore-sight lens frame of the 1916 patented device, shown from the rear.
Unlike the Lattey sight, which had a clear lens and mounted in front of the SMLE fore-sight block,
this model had a spot reticle, and mounted behind the SMLE front sight,
magnifying both the target and the rifle's own fore-sight.
A boxed set of Alex Martin's SMLE sights is shown below,
and includes a standard BSA No.9C folding target rear sight.
However, the eyepiece is not just a simple aperture, but includes a tiny correcting lens.
The instruction sheet for the use of the sights is illustrated below.
The sight was fitted to the Short Lee-Enfield as shown below.
Oddly, in the List of Changes of 1915 the index showing the entry for the Martin sight
under "Sights, opticla (Martin) Mk.I", gives the same introduction number as that for the Neill sights;
i.e., 17755. This is therefore illustrated here as well as on the page for the Neill sights.
17557—Sights, Optical (Neill), Mark I. ......................... 28 Sep 1915
Rifles, short, M.L.E.
Back: ....................................... ....................................... LWith lens and bush, and aperture plate with
fixing screw, two washers, and elevation plate.
Front: ....................................... ....................................... LWith lens and bush, and clamping plate with
fly-nut and washer.Introduction.
............Patterns of the above-mentioned sights have been approved to govern supplies as may be ordered.
............Backsight: The backsight consists of a frame into which a bush, fitted with a lens, is screwed, and an adjustable aperture plate with a pivoted elevation plate fitted on the rear face and fixed by a screw and two washers.
............The backsight is fitted on the left side of the rifle under the
spring of the long range aperture sight, and replaces the long range
aperture sight. To allow the backsight to fold down horizontally when not in use, a suitable clearance will be cut in the stock, fore-end
............A few backsights of early supply were graduated for 200 and 500 yards elevation only, and a single aperture bored in the aperture
plate. Later supplies are graduated for 200, 400, 500 and 600 yards elevation, and four apertures are bored in the aperture plate.
............Frontsight: The frontsight consists of a frame into which a bush, fitted with a lens, is screwed, and is provided with a screw, fixed in the bottom end, for attaching the sight to the rifle by means
of a clamping plate, fly-nut, and washers.
............The frontsight is fitted on the left side of the rifle by boring a hole through the wood of the fore-end at the bottom end of the lightening slots below the sight protector of the nosecap. The screw of the frontsight is passed through this hole, and the frontsight is fixed in position by means of the clamping plate, fly-nut, and washer.
Note: In a subsequent ERRATA note, the name "Neill" in official nomenclature was ordered to be substituted by "Barnett".
Alex Martin Ltd., produced another quite sophisticated optical sight arrangement
for the "Long" Lee rifles five years earlier than the militarily approved WWI model.
The patent was applied for on 5th. March 1910, and the application is copied below.
Improvements in Sighting Attachments for Rifles
Application no. 5558., Martin, J. E. ................................ 5th. March 1910
...............Sights; sighting- accessories. - Relates to foresights of the kind comprising a lens carried by a frame and provided with a protecting - device, and consists (1) in hinging the frame E to the protecting-box B so that it can be folded therein; (2) in providing a pivoted cover C, Fig. 4, for the protecting-box; and (3) in providing a detachable weather-shade P, Fig. 1, for the sight.
Whilst originally a Martin design, the sight has also been seen marketed as a BSA-Parker product.
.............
Although this sight has an very useful protective case into which the lens frame can be folded to prevent damage,
this does result in a greater over-bore height of the sight-line, making cant more critical.
See also: the LATTEY Galilean sights on the SMLE.....GIBBS optical sight for the SMLE...
NEILL (Barnett) Galilean sights on the SMLE......BSA optical sight on a Lee-Metford
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